COL. Hansel Marantan is back in the saddle with his new post as acting director of the Davao City Police Office in a place where former president Rodrigo Duterte, Vice President Sara Duterte and family hold sway.

Assigned to lead the city police last week, Marantan has vowed to "to serve and protect, perform my official duties according to what is right and just, and most importantly heeding what my conscience dictates and protect the mandate of the duly-elected President."

Marantan's designation was issued through a memorandum by Philippine National Police (PNP) Directorate for Personnel and Records Management Director Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia.

Law enforcement authorities have viewed Marantan's new designation as "a challenge more than a trap being in the 'lion's den' where he has to face political and public pressures, never fearing the criminal underworld which he had beaten to their own game."

Certain members of the media fondly call Marantan as a "man of steel" owing to the titanium implants replacing certain parts of his body — 52 metal screws, four bone plates and a replaced knee — after several clashes with armed criminals that left him severely wounded in past major police operations.

Some analysts even expect Marantan to spearhead the arrest of fugitive Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

During his stint as chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for Metro Manila, Marantan led a team that enforced the search warrants on the home and land property of the then fugitive Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. following the Negros Oriental massacre.

In 2008, he solved the assassination case of Abra Rep. Luis Bersamin when he arrested the instigator, then Abra Gov. Vicente Valera.

Also in 2008, Marantan led his men in neutralizing 30 armed men believed to be members of the Kuratong Baleleng OGC, a criminal group notorious for bank robberies and hostage-takings in many parts of the country, who at that time raided a commercial bank in Cabuyao, Laguna.

On account of his fight against criminal elements and terrorists, Marantan was twice promoted on merits.

He received from the Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla the PNP Medal of Valor for his life-saving acts of bravery on several occasions.

Despite his marvelous feats and well-grounded training, some of his loyal sympathizers say Marantan is somehow being short-changed, deprived of what is due him and his men as "war-dogs of the national police."

In some incidents, Marantan got sacked even if the charges were based on mere insinuations.

It is about time Marantan, a decorated officer and a man of action, takes the helm.